


For the Love of the Game

by FutureNhlgoalie17



Category: Juuse Saros - Fandom, Men's Hockey RPF, Pekka Rinne - Fandom
Genre: Blood, Character Death, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:41:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FutureNhlgoalie17/pseuds/FutureNhlgoalie17
Summary: Juuse just wants to play well against Edmonton, until everything goes horribly wrong...
Relationships: Juuse Saros/OFC
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Lovelies! This is my first fic on this site, and the first using real people. I hope Juuse and Pekka don't sound too ooc. Yes, I know this isn't how the 2016-2017 playoff went, but work with me lol. Yes, Hartsy's on the team—he never got traded to Philly. Also, Fiala didn't get hurt.  
> I also didn't think this would get split into multiple chapters, but i think it needs it.  
> This fic deals with violence and blood. There's also an active shooter, so if that's not for you, then I'll see you on my next fic.  
> Not beta'd.  
> Enjoy!

Juuse was nervous as hell. He would be starting tonight against Edmonton. He didn’t have a good record against them, and it was a home game so there was extra pressure. 17,150 would fill Bridgestone Arena like they did every Saturday. 

With only three weeks left of the regular season, everyone was excited but feeling the pressure. If they won the next couple, they'd make it to the Playoffs this year. If they were good enough, they could lift the Cup. If only. 

He tried not to look as nervous as he felt, as he tied the toe-tab of his gold leg pads on his skates. Then gave the skate a good hit on the rubber floor, making sure his foot was in the proper place, making sure the fit was just right otherwise his edge work would be all for naught. And Juuse was known for his edge work—those drills in training camp helped propel him to Pekka's back-up, then to the rest of the NHL, who started including him in goalie conversations.

 _The Little Goalie that could. What a surprise. We never thought Juuse Saros would succeed at this level because of his size, but he's always proving us wrong. Will he become the new face of the franchise once Pekka hangs it up? Who is this new net-minder?_ Juuse was familiar with all the press, feeling elated at first to be talked about, but then his shyness took over, and he tried to keep a low profile. Juuse was always proving people wrong. Even when playing for Liiga in Finland. Then in the minors, where he worked his ass off to prove he was worthy of a chance to play with the big boys. Nashville had taken notice, calling him up for one game as the back up because Hutton was sick. What was supposed to be a one-time thing became permanent. Juuse had apologized to Carter when he found he was being traded, but Hutton wished him good luck and told him he was gonna be something special. And now, in a city where nobody thought hockey would work. Well, Nashville argued that point for almost 20 years now. Maybe that's why Juuse loved the city so much. They were both two impossibilities that became possible with hard work, determination, and courage to continue to fight even through adversity. 

Pekka sat in the next stall over, talking to Mikka about some Finnish reality show. He’d finished strapping his pads, his blue eyes rolling at his fellow Finn. Nealer shot the breeze with Hartsy, as they made sure their skates were tight. 

PK and Joey played hacky-sack, half-dressed for the game. Calle, held hands with Forseberg, relaxing. The rest of the team either played soccer in the hallway, or was watching the IPAD for last minute reminders of the plays they were running tonight. 

Lavy hadn’t given his Pre-game speech yet. It was loud outside the dressing room. The pregame show was staring. Only ten minutes until puck drop. Smitty and Sissons were layed out on the floor, doing stretches, or trying to. They mostly looked like fish out of water, gasping for air. 

Juuse took a few deep breaths, pulling out his phone and reading a few sweet messages from his girl before the game to calm his nerves. 

“Hey, Juus, you okay? You’re awfully quiet over there.” Fifi asked as he chirped Arvy about his hair.

“How’s that different than normal? The Little Finn’s always quiet!” Nealer chirped. 

“Yeah, I would've thought that wife of yours would bring you out of your comfort zone.” Hartsy now joined in the game, passing to Eeli Tolvanen, who just shook his head because he spoke very little English. 

Pekka looked beside him to the next stall. “Honey, you okay? You’re gonna be great tonight.”

Juuse loved his nickname, and loved it when he and Pekka joked. It was fun. Helped him loosen up. “Fine, baby. Just, uh, well, I’m worried.” His brow furled as he moved closer to his best friend. 

“About what?” 

Juuse leaned his head towards the older net-minder, and whispered. “Elizabeth’s pregnant. Just found out today. About eight weeks.”

A smile formed on Pekka’s lips. Mikka gasped, swearing in Finnish. Everything stopped in the locker room. It went quiet. Everyone looked at each other, then back to Jusse, then started chattering amongst themselves. 

Fisher gave him a knowing smile, but remained stoic like always. Always the captain even when he didn't need to be. Josi ruffled Jusse's hair then went back to his stall to finish taping his stick. 

The blue-eyed net-minder realized his error. He'd meant to tell him in their native language. He'd hadn't wanted anyone to know just yet. They’d had such a hard time getting pregnant. They struggled for two years before their miracle came along. Juuse knew that behind his wife's caring eyes and sweet smile, there was pain. The pain of feeling like a failure. He’d felt that too during his life. It killed him everyday to see her so sad. In public, she was the rock, but then they’d come home and she’d cry herself to sleep, pretending Juuse never heard.

He always heard. He didn't cry in front of her much. He waited til she was out of the house or he was on the road to let it out. This wasn't the first time she'd been pregnant. The other two times only resulted in more tears and heartache. So, yeah, Juuse was a little worried, but was also hopeful. She was the furthest along she'd ever gotten, so there was something to hold onto.

“Juice, my man! Good on ya.” PK joked. Damn, maybe PK really did have supersonic hearing or something. 

“Didn’t think you had it in you!” Watty came over and slapped Juuse on the back, exposing his Toothless Grin.

"How touching. Our baby, having a baby himself. No, I'm not crying. There's something in my eye." Hartsy quickly rubbed his eyes, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, but nobody bought it. For such a tough guy, he was a really big softy. Tolvanen reached into his bag, and waved a tissue in front of his hackeysack partner. Scott waved him off, and then waited a few seconds before taking it, and loudly blowing his nose. 

Johansen rolled his eyes at his line mate and went to high five PK. He'd have to remember to remind his friend about the team bet. PK knew who had won the bet.

“I promised you it would happen, didn’t I? Have I ever steered you wrong?” Pekka laughed as he put on his chest protector, remembering the day a while ago when Juuse had confided in him about their problem and Pekka assured him that the more they forced it, the more it wouldn't happen. 

He’d been right. Juuse and Elizabeth accepted their fate and went on with life as normal. And viola. God did Peks have a crystal ball? 

“You’re enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Every bit.”

"Look, guys, while I appreciate the enthusiasm and support, can we not worry about it? I've wanted this for so long, now that it's here, I'm afraid I'll jinx it or something. So, can we please keep it a secret until we can't anymore? I don't think Elizabeth can take any more heartbreak right now. Let's just focus on this game and getting into the playoffs." He hadn't mentioned himself. He didn't need to. All he thought about now was her, trying to do her job tonight, fighting through the exhaustion and nausea.

She would be excited tonight, standing on the glass just behind the goal.

Lavy came in with all the coaches. Juuse zoned out during his speech. All he could think about was playing well. For his team. For his city. For them. Then all he could think about was whether their child would have his eyes or her nose. Whatever happened, Juuse knew he'd love him/her more than he'd ever loved anything—even hockey. All he ever wanted was finally his. He felt like he was the king of the world. 

He hadn't realized the rest of the team left and headed into the hallway, waiting for him to lead the line, leaving him and Peks alone in the room. 

"I know how hard this has been on you, Juice—know how much it's been weighing on your heart. It'll be nice to see you finally relax. Enjoy yourself around the little ones." 

"What if we lose this one too?" Once, he’d come home after a game to find her shaking on the floor in the kitchen, clutching her legs to her chest. Elizabeth cried so hard, he struggled to understand what she was saying. A small grainy gray Polaroid slipped from her hands. She couldn't look at him. What kind of fucking failure was she? She couldn't give her husband what he wanted so desperately. Couldn't have what she wanted just as much. She apologized over and over again for not being a better wife. And for being so selfish with her own needs and pain that she'd completely ignored her incredible husband and his sadness. She spent everyday after that being the best wife she could be. Making sure his gear was game day ready. Making him all the Finnish foods he used to eat back home from recipes that she could find. Stopped talking about babies in general. 

Elizabeth knew what it did to him. Made his stomach knot. Made his shoulders scrunch up. That’s where he carried his emotions. There were many times he came home wound up, and she’d kiss the tense muscles, soothing them into submission as she massaged the stress out of him. 

It was too painful to watch his body language shift from happy to quiet despair, even if he tried with everything in himself to hide it. She knew him too well. He couldn’t hide. Neither could she. 

He always tried to be so strong, so brave, but sometimes he just couldn't pull himself out of the abyss of despair. The abyss where the ugly kind of pain resided. It tried to make him bitter, and sometimes he was. Juuse was afraid to loose his softness. Afraid to lose his belief in the goodness of things. 

Pekka bit his lip, recognizing the pain his best friend felt, and took a few seconds before he spoke. "But, what if you don't? Enjoy this moment, and take it one day at a time. All you can do." His eyes were full of far away pain. But the mask was strong, and he managed to soften his features so Juus wouldn't know he was in pain. Juuse needed him at this moment. If Pekka broke, Juuse would make it about him, and Pekka just wanted to forget about bad news and focus on the happiness for as long as he could. 

"Yeah, you're right. Like always. Thanks, Peks." Juuse snorted in mock defeat.

He pulled open the door, motioning for Juuse to step through to the hall. "Sure, thing, sweetheart. Now, lets go give them a show."


	2. Chapter 2

It was too loud. The introduction graphics flashed on the surface of the ice, and Bridgestone gave a warm welcome to the team, waiting to take the ice. 

“Introducing your Nashville Predators starting lineup,” announcer Paul McCan began, going through the roster.”...And in net, your Nashville Predators starting goaltender, number 74, Juuse Saros.”

Bridgestone lit up with energy. Rally towels all moved in perfect time. The cheers from Cellblock 303 began to build.

He took his place at the front of the line and stepped through the open bench door, placing his skates on the ice. Did a lap. Skated to his net.

Juuse locked eyes with his wife, who was standing right near the glass in section 110. She gave him a sweet smile, and banged the glass in support, black and gold stethoscope around her neck.He placed his helmet on the back of the net with his water bottle and headed to center ice for the anthem.

The anthem was done. His teammates headed to the bench, except for the five who were starting. The net waited for him. He obliged his old friend, trying to shake his nerves. What the hell was wrong with him? Nausea took over him. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut. The hairs on his arms stood up. Was he fully dressed? Had he put on all his gear? Were his skates tied? Inhale. Exhale. 

_Just calm down. Nothing’s wrong. Just hockey. You’ve played against McDavid before._ He tried to reason with himself as he sipped from his water bottle and put on his helmet, making sure the straps were tight before spreading his legs into the butterfly position.

Two linesmen gathered around center ice, the one on the left holding the puck. The JOFA line got in their stance. Josi and Ellis bent over, gripping their sticks in anticipation of losing the face off. 

The puck fell from his hand in slow motion. Everyone tracked it with their eyes. To the left into the boards. They took off after it, hoping to corral the puck into the back of the net.

_Pop. Pop. Pop._

Juuse stood straight up, wondering what the sound was. 

_Pop. Pop. Pop._

There it was again—louder, more ominous. Had his knee just exploded or had one of the guys lost a tooth from a stray puck to the face? No. That wasn't right. _Come on, Juuse, Think._

When the puck appeared behind the goal, Juuse followed it until his eyes fell on his wife. Her posture had shifted. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach. He could see the worry in her eyes, even from a few feet away. Elizabeth gave him a cautious nod, scanning the Arena for any sign of trouble. Her paramedic partner, who was in the next section over, approached her, whispered something in her ear, then took off down the corridor to the main concourse. 

The lights overhead exploded, covering the Stone in thick darkness. 

He froze. Waited for the emergency lights to warm up and come on, too fluorescent and pointed. The light from them was thin and he could barely see in front of him. 

The rest of the team waited on the bench to see what the refs were going to tell them about playing. This had never happened before. He'd never had a delayed game because of the lights. The refs conferred with each other, trying to figure out what to do. Arvy and Forsberg looked at each other with worried expressions. Hartsy hung onto the boards. Joey and P.K. shared a laugh. 

_Pop. Pop._

A scream pierced the air. Juuse whipped his head towards the sound, his skin crawled with anxiety and fear. 

James, one of the other paramedics in another section, headed over to attend to the woman. He shook his head at Elizabeth and started talking into his radio. 

Then another scream from a few sections over. Then another. 

Juuse knew the screaming had nothing to do with the power outage. 

Chaos descended upon the Arena. A shrill scream came from overhead and Juuse realized someone had pulled the fire alarm.

He looked back to see Elizabeth, then his stomach dropped. 

She was gone. Lights flashed and the intercom told everyone to proceed to the nearest exit. 

Everyone started to move, the exits clogging in less than a few minutes. 

Juuse scanned the area, knowing he needed to go to the dressing room but he had to know she was safe. 

The pops continued, mixing with the florescent strobe, the emergency wailing, the pounding of moving feet. 

“This is an emergency. Please proceed to the nearest exit.” Kept repeating over and over until Juuse thought he could repeat the sentence forward and backwards in both English and Finnish.

He cranned his neck to peer over the chaos of moving bodies, struggling to see if she was there. A small flash of brown caught his eye and then she emerged from the mass, pressing her body close to the glass, careful to avoid being squished. 

He abandoned his mask and stick on the net and skated over to where she stood. 

“Oh thank God you’re alright.”

“Juuse, what the hell are you still doing here? Get out. Go to the dressing room. Barricade the door.” There was no laughter in her voice, no hint of playful joy like there normallly was. 

They were fucked. Her shoulders were slumped, the muscles in her neck tensed and ready to strike. 

“What’s going on?” He placed his gloved hand on the glass and she joined his on the other side of the glass. 

“Active shooter. I’ll come try to find you in a few minutes.” She had to practically yell over the noise. The radio at her hip crackled and she fought to shut off the static. 

_Pop. Pop. Pop_. A scream. Two more. Moaning. One of the girls she worked with ran past with her partner, wheeling a stretcher and ducking every few seconds as the sound of gunfire fell all around them. 

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder. There was a man a few rows up holding his leg, his olive green pants covered in a dark pool. Her stomach churned. She pushed the nausea deep inside. Took a step towards the upper rows. “ Juus, I’ve gotta go.” 

He looked behind her, saw the severity of the situation. Nodded. He knew she wouldn’t leave her post no matter how much he begged. Just like he wouldn’t give up playing the game. She could be stubborn as hell sometimes. Juuse loved that about her. But it also pushed his buttons to no end. 

“God, Lizzie, I don't know how to handle something like this. I know you’re gonna do your job. Don't ever stop being that person. Do your job then come back to me. I’ll be in the locker room with the boys.” 

“Police and SWAT are on their way. Do not open the door for anything and try to put as many thick things in front of it as possible. Turn off the lights and be quiet. Take care of each other..." she took a deep breath then continued, “Juus, I love you.”

“I love you too.” he replied, even though he knew she couldn't hear him over the chaos and the other side of the glass. But it was true. He did. And he made sure she knew it, even if all she could see was the moving of his lips.

She smiled, made a heart shape with her hands, then sighed. She needed to go. But she couldn’t. Because what if this was the last time she’d ever see him? How would she ever be able to tell their child about how amazing his/her father was? Those dimples that exposed themselves when he smiled. Those blue eyes that took her breath away every damn time. How would she ever be able to explain the love he had for others, how selfless he was? How he loved them both with everything that he was. Juuse Saros was love, inside and out. Everything he did, everything he was. He was love. He encapsulated her, poured his light and soul into her until she could breath again. 

There were so many reasons to leave her. So many. But he never did. Not once. Even when they had a fight. There was never a time when he stopped loving her, and she’d make sure their child knew it. 

It was time to do her job. No matter the cost. Elizabeth took the time to study every detail about him...just in case. 

He nodded, then turned to skate towards the bench. Looking back over his shoulder, he stared at her for a long few minutes, trying to memorize everything about her, in case….well, just in case she never came through their front door and fell into his arms again after a long day at work. 

Juuse wasn’t a particularly religious man—although he did believe in a higher power—he had too, for a woman like her to be in his life, but he said a silent prayer to keep his family safe. 

He needed to go to the locker room, but it was like his skates were frozen to the ice. Most of the guys had already left the bench, except for a few. Pekka stared at him, waiting for his protege to decide what he was going to do. 

“Hey, Juice, you okay?” It was Hartsy. His face held a hint of concern. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Juuse shook off his feeling of worry and headed towards Peks. 

“Honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Maybe, I just did.” Juice whispered, but Pekka heard him.

The older net-minders blue gray eyes studied him intently, giving him a once over, noticing how his shoulders were slumped. Juuse had his head down, wouldn't look at anyone. Pekka knew this situation was bothering him—that’s how he always was when he was upset. 

Hartsy opened the bench door, and motioned for him to step through. Mikka had waited for his housemates/ friends. What a guy. His face never betrayed him, and Juuse was envious of his fellow Finns ability to hide his emotions. But that’s probably what made him a good 4th liner. 

They all took a step towards the locker room when they heard something coming from their right side. 

A group of five children cowered under a row of seats, some crying, some just staring into the distance, a few covering their ears because of the noise. 

Juuse gulped, trying to dislodge his heart from his throat. Tolvanen now stepped forward, hiding in the confusion. He took Juuse’s stick, blocker, and glove, and sprinted to the locker room, then appeared back at their sides like he’d never even left. 

Hartsy and Pekka silently communicated, their eyes doing all the talking.

Juuse and Mikka knew what was coming next. 

“We can’t leave them.” Pekka’s voice grew deep, always did when it came to the concern of small little people who made his heart melt every time he visited them during his charity work. 

“Not a chance in hell.” Hartsy agreed, nodding before moving to scoop up one of the children in his arms. 

Pekka moved over to the group, scooping up two, one in each arm. It was difficult to juggle his gear and the kids, but he didn’t complain, and began to walk towards the locker room. 

Juuse started to follow, grabbing one small hand and walking with her, while Mikka took the last boy. Tolvanen brought up the rear, looking over his shoulder every few minutes as they finally reached their destination. Hartsy flung open the door, and they pushed their way into the darkness. 

  
  



End file.
